Many of the electronic devices in use today rely on batteries to provide power. In fact, millions of batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, are produced every year. These types of batteries use materials that are being depleted. Lithium and cobalt, for instance, are examples of elements used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries can be regarded as an untapped resource of these elements.
As a result, there have been attempts to recover these elements from discarded batteries. Unfortunately, conventional methods for disassembling these types of batteries carry substantial risk. The most serious problem is caused by short circuits that occur in the disassembly process. As a result, discarded batteries often form an untapped resource of these elements.